Adana-Style Skillet Kebab

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Ground Beef (lamb-beef mix if possible)
• 2 tbsp red pepper paste or 1 tbsp tomato paste + 2 tsp aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp sumac
• 1 small onion, grated and squeezed bone-dry
• Flatbreads, warmed
• Sliced onion tossed with sumac + parsley
• Grilled tomatoes and peppers, traditional wingmen
• Yogurt

Method

1. Knead the Ground Beef with the pepper paste, cumin, grated onion, and 1 teaspoon salt for 2 full minutes until tacky — Adana masters knead until the meat 'holds the knife'.
2. Shape into long flat kebabs, pressing finger-dents down each (more surface, more char).
3. Sear in a ripping-hot lightly-oiled skillet or grill pan, 4–5 minutes per side, to charred outside and 160°F within.
4. Rest the kebabs ON the warm flatbreads — the drippings soak in; the bread becomes the second course.
5. Serve with the sumac onions, grilled vegetables, and yogurt. Assembly is personal; enthusiasm is universal.